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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24437131">The heart of a lioness</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/marlo_zart/pseuds/marlo_zart'>marlo_zart</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Compliant, Canon Related, Canonical Character Death, F/F, F/M, One Shot, This Is Sad, angst i guess (?, i guess, torture and death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 08:48:40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,924</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24437131</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/marlo_zart/pseuds/marlo_zart</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The day Marlene McKinnon took Dorcas Meadowes’ hand for the last time</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Marlene McKinnon/Dorcas Meadowes</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The heart of a lioness</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I think it’s awesome how much we can write about a character that we know absolutely nothing about. Everything belongs to You Know Who, this is just a fic. And obviously, this never happened.</p><p>Important note: I do not support J.K in any way, fuck her</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">She couldn’t do it, not anymore. Her ribs were broken and her lip felt like it was about to explode. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">She could feel everything in her body, screaming for it to stop. Her head ached, her hands were sore and cut were the magical string was touching her skin. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“I guess now you’re ready to tell me“, a cold voice rose from the back of the room. A tall man with long black hair approached her. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">He was wearing a black cloak, his skin looked pale and squamish, glittering with green when the light caught the glimpse of his hands. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">His eyes were dark, and terrifyingly so looked like the ones of a snake. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Marlene turned her head towards the man. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“Voldy, long time no see”, her voice was hoarse from the night before. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“<em>Crucio</em>”, he whispered and she felt every part of her body on fire. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">It took her five minutes to recover and even then she was still shivering and gritting her teeth. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“Now. Tell me were are the Potters”, he drew himself close to her, and she started to feel sick. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">They hadn’t killed her with the rest of her family right away, and that was the reason. She felt a hot spreading in her chest, she hated the man who was in front of her, hated him with all her heart. How dare he ask her that question? As if she were willing to give it even if she knew. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">She suddenly thought of Harry, her godson. Small, adorable Harry. She loved him even before she got the chance to hold him. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">She had laughed as soon as she saw him. Because the first thing that caught her eye was his hair. And she remembered all the times when James and her were children and she used to put every product on earth in his hair with the hopes of making it as tidy as possible. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">It had never worked. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">She knew, as soon as he was on her arms that she would do anything in her power to protect him. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2"><em>“I-don’t-know-you-twat”</em>, she replied.</span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Voldemort breathed in and backed away from her.</span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“I don’t really need to torture you, you know. I could simply go inside your head and see for myself”, he said. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Marlene rolled her eyes, she might’ve been beaten up and exhausted from all the senseless torture she had endured the past couple of days. If there was one thing she hated in the world was racist, xenophobic arseholes who threatened her friends and killed her family. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“Try. You won’t find anything. I’m not exactly feeling bright at the moment”, Marlene said. A humourless laugh left her lips. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">She looked at him dead in the eye. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“And you’ve already tried. When I was unconscious, some people can tell, you know. And it’s really rude not to ask for consent. Anyways, you’re not really my type, I prefer birds”, she drew the conversation elsewhere, trying to distract him from the thought of the Potters. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Voldemort shot her a disgusted expression. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <em>
    <span class="s2">“So you’re homophobic too, great. One more reason for me to hate you”, she thought. </span>
  </em>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“I’m not interested by your... preferences, Ms. McKinnon. I want to know about the Potters”. He paced elegantly around the room. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">She looked at him for a long time before answering. She couldn’t find a reason as to why people followed him, he looked like one of those muggle drug addicts that hung around the dark alleys of London, desperate for another shot of heroin. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Of course, the reason was because they agreed with his stupid ideas. But she couldn’t help but wonder if they also agreed with his presentation.</span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“What do you want to know about them?”, she asked faking innocence. “James is really good at quidditch and Lily is the brightest witch in our year. Did you know that she made a polyjuice potion on our second year? Amazing. Don’t ask me what it was for. Or perhaps you’d like to know their love story, well buckle up because it’s a bumpy ride” </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“<em>DO NOT MOCK ME CHILD!</em>”, he yelled and the whole room shook at his outburst. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">The truth was, she wanted to mock him. She was tired, the last days had been too much for her. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">She had watched her whole family die, she had lost the love of her life and she knew she wasn’t going to get out of there alive. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">She needed something, anything to make him mad enough to kill her. But before she could think of anything Lucius Malfoy walked into the room. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“My lord, we just got Pettigrew to talk. He says he knows”, he said while he bowed. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Memories came racing to Marlene’s mind, sweet Peter, the little guy who always knew, who was an expert on keeping secrets and knowing things about people. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">No, it couldn’t be. She knew exactly what Lucius meant, Peter was going to tell them where Lily and James were and she couldn’t let that happen. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“NO!”, she roared with all the strength she had left and rose to sit down. She cast a spell she knew well enough to not need a wand. “<em>Sonorous</em>” </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“PETER! PETER PETTIGREW DON’T YOU DARE! DON’T TELL HIM OR I SWEAR I’LL KILL YOU WITH MY BARE HANDS!” </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Voldemort looked at her and a wicked smile appeared on his face, twisting it in a way that made him look scarier than ever. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“Let’s go Malfoy. I’ll deal with the blood traitor later”, he laughed while they closed the door and the echoes of his laughter surrounded her out of every corner of that dark tiny room. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">That wouldn’t stop her. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“PETER!”, she yelled again and she knew he could hear her. “HE’S YOUR FRIEND, HE WOULD GIVE HIS LIKE FOR YOURS YOU BACKSTABBING COWARD. DON’T YOU DARE TELL HIM” </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">The spell wore off, leaving her weaker than she had imagined. She fell to the ground and silent tears slipped out the corner of her eyes. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“I’m sorry Dorcas”, she whispered, looking at the ceiling. “I’m sorry, I know I said I would fight, but I can’t... Not anymore. I’m... so tired... And Peter is just going to-...” </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">She broke down in ugly sobs. James, her James. Her best friend since childhood, he was somewhere out there completely oblivious as to what his friend was doing. Marlene cried harder thinking of him, he was the closest thing she had to a brother, he was her brother. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">And she couldn’t warn him, there wasn’t enough energy left in her to cast a spell, to apparate, there wasn’t a happy thought she could think of to cast a patronous and warn them. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">She felt so useless, there were many things she could do, but not enough time, not enough strength. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“You can still fight”, a voice she knew too well came from next to her. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Marlene turned, and there she was. As beautiful as the day she left. Her dark skin had a ghostly glow know, and her black curls were being softly blown by an invisible breeze. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“Dorcas?”, she asked. She closed her eyes and opened them again, Dorcas was still there. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“Am I dead?”, Marlene asked.</span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“Not yet, love”, Dorcas said. Her lips curling up in a sweet smile. The smile she only gave Marlene. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“I want to”, Marlene confessed. “I can’t do it anymore, everything hurts. And Peter... he’s telling him we’re they are, and there’s nothing I can do to warn them. I need to...” </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">She didn’t finish the sentence, but they both knew what she meant. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2"> “It’s okay, sweetheart. You did everything you could”, Dorcas said. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Marlene shook her head, sending daggers of pain down her neck and her head. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“I could’ve done more”, she cried. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“There’s something you can still do”, Dorcas whispered. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Marlene frowned. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“What?”, she asked, genuinely curious. “What can I do?” </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“I’m sure there’s still strength in you to warn them”</span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Marlene shook her head again. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“I don’t have my wand...” </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Dorcas smiled. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“You don’t need it. You’re one of the brightest witches I knew, you can do it. I know you can” </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Marlene looked at her and breathed. She could do it. If Dorcas believed in her, there was nothing she couldn’t do. That was everything she needed to pull herself up and draw strength she didn’t have out of thin air, Dorcas, her Dorcas. She closed her eyes, and remembered. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Dorcas laughter, Sirius letting her borrow his leather jacket, Lily’s hugs, James ruffling her hair, Remus handing her chocolate. Her dad, kissing her temple, her mother’s cooking, her grandpa’s music sounding through all the house, her grandma’s red kisses on her cheeks. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Dorcas, hugging her, the first time they kissed, their first date. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Dorcas, telling her she loved her. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">She whispered. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“<em>Expecto patronum</em>”. A big lioness appeared and moved over her, shining white light that was almost too bright, and for the second time that day she thought she was dead. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“Go to the... Go to James. Tell him, Peter told him, he knows where you are, you need to go. Take Lily, and Harry. And get out of wherever it is you’re hiding. I love you all... So much, I’m sorry”, she whispered. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">The lioness ran around the room and then disappeared through the wall. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“<em>Oh please be quick, please get to them on time”, she thought. </em></span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Marlene fell to the floor, exhausted. Her head hammering and her eyes threatening to close. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“You did it, Marls. I’m proud of you... I’ll see you soon”. And with that the image of Dorcas disappeared as if someone had passed a hand through her, making her dissolve into the air. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">The room fell in silence, and that silence was quickly interrupted by Voldemort. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“You don’t do me any serve anymore, child. Pettigrew has told me everything, and soon your little friends will be dead”, he mocked. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“Oh, <em>Voldy</em>”, she said tiredly. “<em>Voldy, The Dark Lord. Voldemort. He Who Must not Be Named</em>. You have so many nicknames, are you compensating for something?” </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Marlene didn’t even moved, nor did she looked at him, she was too tired. But she wanted to die, now she had done everything she could, she had to go. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Voldemort’s nostrils flattered. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“Insolent-“, he began, but was cut out by Marlene. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“You know it’s funny. How you hate muggle-borns yet you’re a half blood yourself. What would your little pureblood friend think of that, Voldy?”</span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“Who did you-“ </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“It’s not hard to guess. Obviously you have really bad daddy issues. I’m guessing he was the muggle one. You know, there’s this thing muggles call therapy, does you wonders. You should try it” </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“You insolent blood traitor. I’m going to kill you!”, he roared. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“What are you waiting for, <em>Tom</em>?”, she asked. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Marlene had heard her father call him that before he died. The look on the old man’s face when he recognized his old classmate and called him by his real name before being killed was something that had haunted Marlene for days. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Voldemort looked taken aback, fury came quickly, washing away the surprise. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">And then his wand was pointing at her. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Marlene closed her eyes, knowing what was coming. And in that moment she thought of James, Harry and Lily. Safe, she told herself, they would be safe. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">And then Dorcas, she had appeared before her again. And was smiling that beautiful smile that she only gave to Marlene. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Dorcas held up a hand to Marlene, inviting her to be with her once again. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“<em>AVADA KEDAVRA!</em>” </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">And Marlene took it gratefully. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Soooo, the McKinnons were killed in July of 1981. So I think it would be kind of accurate, that he didn’t kill Marlene right away and that the Potters thought she was dead. So this would make Lily’s letter accurate and still canon. As to the part of the patronous warning the Potters about Voldemort that didn’t happen, buuut I could write a fic based on Marlene warning them on time, that’s kind of part of the “if they lived au”. I made Marlene Harry’s godmother because I don’t know, we’re I come from you have a godmother and a godfather, and I think (at least in this version with her being childhood friends with James) she would be THE choice for godmother.  </p><p>I guess I made her use a lot of wandless magic. But as I mentioned, the sonorous was one that she already knew how to do and the patronous (even though i’m not sure u can cast one without your wand) was a moment of last resource. And if you’re wondering why she didn’t break herself free, this is days after they killed her family, she must have already tried it at this point. And as she mentions several times, she’s tired of fighting, and she wants to die. To be with her family and her girlfriend. That’s all, hope you like this one. I promise i’ll write happier stuff in the future.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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